Radiator grille



June 15, 1937. Q, so JR 2,083,785

RADIATOR GRILLE Filed March 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Georye Harrison, Jr.

Jung 15, 1937. I s. HARRISON, JR v 2,083,785

RADIATOR GRILLE Filed March 27, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 2 Georye Ha/r/soqdn Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES RADIATOR GRILLE George Harrison, Jr., Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Doehler Die Casting Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application March 27,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to grille structures for use particularly in front of automobile radiators.

It was first the practice to make such grilles from sheet metal, or from a combination of sheet metal and cast or extruded bars, and these were followed by die cast grilles, which latter at the present time are being extensively used. The die cast grilles, however, while having advantages over the first-mentioned grilles, are objectionable primarily from the standpoints of cost of manufacture and of weight. In the manufacturing of die cast grilles, considerable time and labor is required in the finishing operation which is necessary to remove the flashings of metal that occur between the grille bars and between the bars and the frame at or near the juncture points and sometimes along the edges of such members, preparatory to polishing or plating.

A further objection to such grilles is the dimculty and expense of repair and the fact that the damaging of a grille usually requires a complete replacement.

An object of the invention is the provision of a grille of this character, which obviates, to a large extent at least, the objections incident to the manufacture, use and replacement of the customary die cast grilles.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple part grille which not only facilitates manufacture but also lessens the expense of repair of such grilles by avoiding the necessity of replacing an entire grille when a part only is damaged.

A further object of the invention is to produce an integral bar assembly unit for radiator grilles, which unit has bars or ribs of one material and connecting members of another material.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings, illustrative of the invention, and in which- Figures 1 and 2 are front and rear elevations, respectively, of a radiator grille; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the bar assembly unit of the grille; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line l-4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary detail of portion of the bars of a grille and of a cross member connecting the same; Fig. 6 illustrates a step in the method of making the grille bar assembly, and shows in perspective, with a part broken away, a mold for forming a. cross member of the grille bar assembly with a plurality of grille bars fragmentarily shown and mounted in the mold preparatory to 1936, Serial No. 71,147

the cross member molding operation; Fig. 7 is a side view of one of the grille bars; Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the mold with the cover member in closed position and illustrating the metal pouring operation, and Fig.9 is a similar view with the cover partly raised after the metal pouring operation.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a grille adapted for use in front of an automobile radiator and comprising a frame unit 2 and a grille bar assembly unit 3. While the frame 2 may be made in any suitable manner and of any suitable material, it is, for the purpose of economy and manufacture, preferably die cast from zinc. This frame, in its present embodiment, is provided with a centrally disposed vertical strip 4, which extends from top to bottom of the frame and divides it into two openings 5, 5 which are partially closed by the grille bar assembly unit 3.

The bar assembly unit 3, "in its present embodiment, comprises a single piece and is composed of a plurality of bars or ribs 8 held together in desired laterally spaced relation by cross members 9 rigidly connected thereto, preferably by die casting the cross member onto the bars.

The bars 8 are positioned to have any desired arrangement in the frame openings, depending on the design desired, and, in the present instance, are disposed vertically, extending from top to bottom of the frame, and are connected together at their ends and at intervals therebetween by the cross members 9. The bars 8, for the purpose of lightness, are preferably made from an aluminum alley, or other suitable lightweight material of a nature adapted to be polished or chromium-plated to present an attractive appearance, or may be of stainless steel. The bars, in the present instance, are L-shaped in cross-section, with a front web extending in the plane common to the face of the grille and with its other leg extending rearwardly and interengaged by the cross member 9.

Each cross member 9 is preferably formed by die casting metal, such for instance as zinc, around the rearwardly extending webs of the bars 8, and such union is made of a more integral nature and more rigid by providing openings H3 in the bars through which the metal of the cross members extends.

The bars 8 are arranged in groups on the members 9 to suit the number, arrangement and form of the frame openings 5, and the cross members 9 are centrally notched in their front sides as at H to fit the rear side of the center frame strip 4. The ends of the side members are suitably notched or fashioned to fit against the rear sides of the vertical side portions of the frame 2, as shown in Fig. 4. The cross members 9 are removably secured by screws l2 to the portions of the frame with which they engage.

It is apparent that the bar assembly means 3 forms a relatively lightweight structure; that it may be easily removed from the frame 2 for the purpose of repair or replacement; that in the manufacture thereof, the bars 8 are free from fiashings in the spaces therebetween, which flashings must be removed in the finishing operation, and that if desired such unit may be divided into separate parts, one for each frame opening. It is also apparent that if desired the radiator shell may be used as the frame for the bar assembly unit.

The method preferably employed for making the bar assembly unit in a simple, economical and rapid manner, consists in providing and assembling a plurality of bars 8 in desired form to suit the desired arrangement thereof for the opening or openings of a frame 2, and to then cast the cross members 9 integral therewith, preferably by imbedding the rearwardly extending webs of the bars into the casting and causing the casting metal to flow through the openings ID in the bars, the front or face portions of the bars being left exposed without the castings 9.

The method is preferably carried out (1) by providing a number of molds l5 corresponding in number to the cross members 9 used, and each having a mold cavity I6 suitable to the shape of the particular cross member to be formed thereby and also having a plurality of top cross grooves l1 opening into the cavity l6 and of a depth less than that of said grooves; (2) mounting the bars 8 of an assembly unit on the mold tops with their rearwardly projecting flanges fitting into said grooves and extending transversely through the cavity IS with the openings [0 in register with the respective cavities and with the face flanges of the bars preferably above the mold cavities and resting on the mold tops; (3) placing the mold covers l8 down over the bars and mold tops in closing relation to the cavities, which covers have the necessary sprue openings 19 therein, and (4) then pouring molten metal through the sprue openings into the mold cavities around the bar flanges therein and through the bar openings 5 to form the cross members 9 in intimate or substantially integral connection with the bars. This being done, the mold covers are raised and the bar assembly unit removed. It is thus apparent that the cross members are cast under low pressure which is desirable for satisfactory work, and that they are rigidly and securely connected to the face 1 bars.

I Wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific form, arrangement or construction of the parts, or to the use of the particular method described, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a radiator grille, an open frame, a series of vertically disposed bars of substantially L- shape disposed within the frame and having one of their sides extending rearwardly and formed With a series of spaced openings disposed between the front and rear edges of their said one side, continuous integral cross members connecting all of the bars and having integral parts extending through the openings of the bars and further having parts abutting the opposite side faces and the rear edges of said sides of the bars and the rear faces of the front sides of the bars so as to constitute a unitary assemblage, and means to secure the ends of the cross members to the sides of the frame.

2. In a radiator grille, an open frame, a series of vertically disposed bars within the frame having openings located rearwardly of their front portions, integral cross members integrally connecting the bars and having integral parts of solid cross-section which extend through the openings whereby the cross members are keyed to the bars, and means to secure the ends of the cross members to the sides of the frame.

3. In a radiator grille, an open frame, a series of vertically disposed bars within the frame having openings located between their front and rear edges, integral cross members connecting the bars as a unit and having integral parts of solid cross section which extend through the openings whereby the cross members are keyed to the bars, and means to secure the ends of the cross members to the sides of the frame.

4. In a radiator grille, an open frame, a series of vertically disposed bars within the frame having openings therein, integral cross members connecting the bars as a unit and having integral parts of solid cross section which extend through the openings whereby the cross members are keyed to the bars, and means to secure the ends of the cross members to the sides of the frame.

GEORGE HARRISON, JR. 

